Brakes: Parking brake /autogearbox not holding on hills

[bobmech1]

Urgent help required
I have just took delivery of a 2010 xc90 active D5 awd with auto box
When stopping on a hill facing downhill and putting the car into reverse, the car rolls forward when you take your foot off the barke to put on the accelerator to reverse. If you put the parking brake on and put it into drive to pull away from the hill before you can put your foot on the accelerator pedal to pull away the car rolls forward again the car is facing down hill.
Spoke to dealership and told that the gearbox doesn't hold the car on a hill as it is neutral box. This is the first time i've heard of this with autoboxes after driving them for 25 years
Please can someone help

[AB-UK]

Bobmech,
This is not a new "problem" - I too have driven automatics for years, and in my experience the tickover rate of the engine at idle will dictate the amount of power/torque applied by the autobox - hence the creep forward when you take your foot off the brake. If the tickover rate is increased it is less likely to roll backwards on a hill.
I have test-driven the Grand Cherokee with Auto-box on and off-road, and the instructor pointed out an unusual feature of that car which is that once in drive, it will not roll back on an incline - a feature he said which was not available in most other automatics.

An annoying "feature" of my XC90 is that if in gear and pointing down a slope (say in a queue at traffic lights), the parking brake will not hold it - I have to put the car into Neutral and use the parking brake, or hold it with the foot-brake thus blinding people behind with my brake lights at night.

[chf]

Originally Posted by AB-UK

Bobmech,
This is not a new "problem" - I too have driven automatics for years, and in my experience the tickover rate of the engine at idle will dictate the amount of power/torque applied by the autobox - hence the creep forward when you take your foot off the brake. If the tickover rate is increased it is less likely to roll backwards on a hill.
I have test-driven the Grand Cherokee with Auto-box on and off-road, and the instructor pointed out an unusual feature of that car which is that once in drive, it will not roll back on an incline - a feature he said which was not available in most other automatics.

An annoying "feature" of my XC90 is that if in gear and pointing down a slope (say in a queue at traffic lights), the parking brake will not hold it - I have to put the car into Neutral and use the parking brake, or hold it with the foot-brake thus blinding people behind with my brake lights at night.

Interesting comments as our XC90 almost fail its MOT has the handbrake (foot operated) rating was only 17%. It then went to a volvo dealer for service and they told me that the handbrake was not desgined to hold the care (when in neutral)
They then adjusted it and told me than 19% was the maximum holding power ...
I must say it is a bit scary when you know the car is just over 2tonnes !!!

[AB-UK]

When I first got my car the footbrake was nice and tight - two click and the car was held quite securely.
However, as time has passed the brake has become less effective, and now it requires 4 or 5 clicks to become tight - and even then it isn't something I would like to rely on, say when stationary in "Drive" and pointing down a steep slope. In Neutral it isn't so bad.

[Clan]

As the XC90 is getting older , many of the older ones have extremely poor parking brakes . They should easily hold the car when in good order but they get neglected . In fact many people with autos dont even use the parking brake which is quite dangerous if parked on a hill with a loose surface or slippery leaves or snow . Because of this the drums rust and the shoes will never grip .
New rear discs/drums and new shoes will make a vast difference , once the new shoes and drum are bedded in properly and adjusted correctly ... It should then hold on the second click ...